Gaining Insight Into Yourself as a Helper

Helping Others

Helping Others

by Tyeisha Dalton -
Number of replies: 5

Helping


Tyeisha L. Dalton

06/25/2020 



1. What were your motives for helping this person?


My customer had been released from prison and needed some assistance. He was looking to get into the work force and get his life back in order.


2. Did you benefit from this relationship in any way? How?


It was fulfilling as a Career Advisor to see someone achieve a goal that I was able to help with.


3. What was your role in the helping relationship? In what way do you think you helped this person? Looking back, is there anything that you might have done differently?

I motivated and pushed him to complete his paperwork. He got in training and he did amazing. He was my first customer to complete training. 


After training he was gainfully employed. We stayed connected he opened 2 successful businesses and started to give back to the re-entry population.


I participated in his first event to help others re-enter society as a subject expert on a panel. I believe I inspired and motivated him. I wouldn't allow him to quit.


Looking back, I would have listened more to the customers needs for the other part of his life (friends, family, entrepreneurial journey). His circle, his life after training maybe I could have done more. He is back incarcerated and has his first child. 


I may not have been able to change the circumstances, just maybe I could have. 


4. Was there anything that this person did, said, or believed that you did not agree with? How did you react?


He was a solid customer and person. Once I learned of the charges I was disappointed but supportive.


5. Did you learn anything from this relationship?


I learned that people just need support, someone to believe in the and help with woth their dreams/goals. Incarceration is tough, some habits die hard. People change but if they don't change their circumstances, they can end up back where the came from. Everyone can not go with you when you start to win.


In reply to Tyeisha Dalton

Re: Helping Others

by TaNesha Fleeton -

Talk about going above and beyond. You helped him get to a place no one thought he could go. Evidently even him. And yeah he didnt change his environment to match his positive circumstances and it dragged him back down but he now knows that he can achieve good positive goals.


You care so much for the individual regardless of the need. You take on their struggle and push for that success.

That is huge and maybe this person didnt maintain his success but you have other clients who have and will in the future.

In reply to TaNesha Fleeton

Re: Helping Others

by Tyeisha Dalton -

Thanks T,

I had to learn to leave that struggle at the office. I would take it home. 

I still push hard, just turn it on and off as needed.

In reply to Tyeisha Dalton

Re: Helping Others

by Gladys Holder -

Good afternoon Tyeisha,

It was a great motivational story.  As Career Coaches, we must be encouraging and positive toward our clients.  Your last paragraph needs proofreading for errors but I enjoyed reading your blog.

 


In reply to Tyeisha Dalton

Re: Helping Others

by Naheda Khan -
As an advisor when managing a high volume of clients, it can be difficult to dedicate more time to learning more about a customer's life and other parts of their life that also are related to the customer being able to succeed. I think we all feel bad from time to time, but then we realize that we have our limitations and there is only so much we can do. I have noticed sometimes when I do go above and beyond, it ends backfiring because the customer still ends up shooting him or herself in the foot. Then I try to push them again in the right direction. 
In reply to Tyeisha Dalton

Re: Helping Others

by Charise Wilson -

Hello Tyeisha,

Thank you for your post. Based on your response it sounds like you were more dedicated to the process than your client. This can be very difficult when we are more motivated and/or are working harder than our clients are willing to work for themselves. 

We are there for clients as cheerleaders and can provide resources, tools, and much-needed guidance but in the end, it's the clients themselves that have to be ready to make the needed changes. 

I would encourage you to continue to be motivating to clients and to inspire them to move in positive directions but would also remind you to keep in mind the video we watched in class (nail in the head) that helped us to appreciate that people move in their own timeframe so "pushing" can turn into or might be more of "encouraging." 

Kudos to you for being supportive even after he became justice-involved. We will be discussing recidivism later in the book and I will be looking to you for your thoughts! 

Thanks so much,

Charise